One-man top.



A. W` CURTIS.

0NE-MAN TOF. APPLICATION FILED ocT. 30. I9Is.

Patented Mar. 2

,ag VE TroR/VEY ALMON w. confus,l 0F con'rtND, NEW YORK.Y

anni/IAN roi-.

Speccatibn of Letters Patent.

Patented Ma125, 1919.

Aiiiicstion i'u'oetdter so, isis.' serial no'. 128,599;

T 0 all "wk'om t may Condomi: y

Be itf known ythatfl", ALMON W. "Confine, acit'izen of theUnited Statesof- Aunerica', and resident' -of Cortland,` in' the county@ of Cortland,in the State of NewY Yorkghave inventedv new andlfuseul'Improvements :inOne-Man' Tops, of which the `following, taken; in connection withy -theaccompanying drawings, is"af;t'ulll, clearyand exact'description. j I

This invention relates'tofcertain improvements in one-man tops `torautomobiles and like' vehicles, and refers more particularly to themeans for connectingthe frontand intermediate bowsto the main *lupi-ightbow to Icause them to move in unisonand in proper relation whenfoldingor unfolding thetop. i e I e These connections are adapted tobelused more particularly" inf connection -with`v the system of bowsshownin my pending appli/- cation, Serial No. 79,649, Eebi'uary y2l',1916, except that thefjmeansl'for connecting the; arched sections of the'main'upright bow and rear lbow `to"their))respective sockets issomewhat similar tthati shown npending application, Serial No. 117,269,filedAugus-28; 1916- A o Y It is evident however, that the sameconnections may `be us'ed yfor connecting" Iother forms of ront'a'n'dintermediate Ybows to the main bowv without departing from the spiritofthis invention l Y Y Tops of' this "character lareV used. moreextensively on touring cars having,"frontl and rear seatsv andcorresponding' front and A rear sets of doors, the vfront" endofthe'rtopfbeingV usually attached movable fastening means to theV uppered'geoftlie wind-shield frame when extended for use sofas to leave aclear -open space at the si-'des between` the rear seat and wind-shieldand from the lower edges of the side quarters of` the' top to the railsof the body,-therebypermitti ng the motorists to pass easily into andout of the doors without yinwany, way interfering with the bowsortconnectingmediums,

This arrangement necessitates the extension of thefront bowafcon'siderable distance forwardlyvyfrom the ,main supporting bow which`is secured to the body somedistance to the' rear of the rear doors, andin order to leaveftheclearopen space at the sides referred to, itisnecessary vto dispose the frontV and intermediate bows and theirconnections Ywith *theH main supporting bow within u a comparativelynarrow' vertical space between the lower edge-of the side quarters andmain portion of the top when l diatebo'ws and main supporting` bow' soas to occupy-a minimum'space close to and within the vertical height ofthe sidequarters', and at the same' time to enable these bows to bemore'casily clashed lor extended by onepersonf"without liability ofinjuring'the hands by vbeing cau ght bei-Weenv the shea-ring parts socommon in theonefman tops now in common use. L

Opposite arms of ythefront bow 'are' made insections" pivoted to eachvotherto'forin toggle connnections with themainfsupportingl'bow, thetoggle joints beingprovided withY stop shoulders yto limit their.'upward movement- Yabout a substantially horizontal po'sitionwhen the topis extended, andanother object of the invention is toA arrangetheconnecting links between the fronty sectionof' the front bow andinain'supportingf bow so as to automatically lock said'sectibnsinoperative position when the: top is adj usted for use. y c

Another object is to connect the interine diat'e vbow to the mainsupporting bow' by separate links which areso arranged as to assist thesupporting links for the front bow, in automatically holding the top inits extended position.

A still further object isto arrange the bow-*supporting links in suchmanner that whenthe front end of the top is freed from connection with'the wind-shieldframe, it is simply necessary to depress the togglejoints of the front bow suliciently to break the toggle lock, whereuponthe bows will partially collapse by their own weight.

Another obj ect is to provide simple means to Vcompensate for slightvariations in the lengths of the links orbows and to utilize suchcompensatingY means for assuring a positive toggle lock ofthe front bowoints when the top is extended.

Other objects and uses will @be brought out in the followingdescription.

In the drawings-fr Figure l isa side elevationof an extend! ed one-mantop, showing thev various fea# tures of my invention, the dotted linesindicating, respectively, the partially collapsed position of the frontportion of the top', and the linal clashing position of the entire top.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation, partly in section, of a portion ofthe main supporting bow and adj acent ends of the front and intermediatebow-supporting members, showing also the compensating device for thelink motions.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 3 3, Fig. l.

y Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken in the plane of line4 4, Fig. :2.

The top supporting frame comprises a main supporting bow -l-, a rear bow-2-, a front bow 3, and an intermediate bow -4-, together with suitablelinks -5- and -6- and a rocking member -7- for connecting the frontsection of the front bow -3- and the intermediate bow luto the mainsupporting bow .-1- in a man ner hereinafter described.

The main supporting bow -lcomprises a pair of socket members -S-pivotally secured at -9- to the main body, as -A-, of the vehicle somedistance to the rear of the rear bars or at opposite sides of the rearseat, and an arched member 10- having its opposite ends abutting againstthe upper ends of the sockets --8 and secured thereto by couplings lL-similar to those shown in my pending application, Serial No. 717,269,previously referred to, and not necessary to herein illustrate ordescribe because the particular form of coupling forms no part of mypresent invention. l

The rear bow -2- is very similar to the main bow -1-, in that itcomprises socket members -8- and an arched member -10- having its endssecured to the upper ends of the socket members -8- kby couplings ll-,the lower ends of the socketed members -2- being pivoted at 12- to thelower ends of the sockets 8- so as to allow both bows -1- and 2- toclash together one over the other.

The front bow S3- comprises an arched section -l0, similar to thosepreviously described, having its ends secured to a pair of oppositelydisposed toggle arms 13- in any suitable manner similar to that setforth in my pending application, Serial No. 79,649, previouslymentioned, the arms -l"- being pivotally connected at 14- to theadjacent ends of another pair of arms 15- which, in turn, are pivoted attheir rear ends at -16- to the socket `members -8-, or rather to thecouplings -l1-, as shown in section in Fig. 3, and together with thesections l3 form opposite toggles which, when straightened out, serve tohold the top, as -B-, in its extended position.

The axes of the pivots -14- are preferably disposed within or above theplane of the sections 1S- and l5- which are formed vith abuttingshoulders F7- ebelow the pivot to limit their upward flexing movement toa substantially horizontal plane. v

When the top is attached for use, the front bow -3 may be secured by anyof the well-known fastening devices to the upper edge of a wind-shieldframe Cw to hold such top -against undue vibration relativelyV to thebody, and also to assist in retaining the top in its extended position,it being understood that the toggle sectionsA +13- and -l5-`e togetherwith the bow section -10- will be disposed above the lower edge of theside quarters, as -b-, ofthe top when the latteris extended v Theintermediate bow comprises an arched or bow section -l0- similar to thatpreviously described and opposite arms l2/ y similar to, but somewhatshorter than, the arms *13h and having their rear ends pivoted at `-18-to the intermediate portions of the rear sections -15- of the front bow-,3-.

The links -5-, only one of which is` shown, are located at oppositesides ofthe frame and pivoted at their front ends at -20 to the frontbow sections -13- some distance in front of the toggle joint or pivot-lfl-, their rear ends being pivotally connected at -2lto the upper endsof the rock arm -7 some distance above the pivots *le* for the rearsections of the front bow.

The links -6-, only one of which is shown, are also located at oppositesides of the top-supporting frame and have their front ends pivotallyconnected at 2Q- to the arms -13-` of the intermediate bows -18-,substantially equal to the distance rear ends of the links -6 beingpivoted axial with the corresponding pivots of the links -5- so thatboth links 5- and -6- may swing about the same axes.

The distance between the axes of the pivots -16- and ,-21 isapproximately twice the distance between the pivots -18- and 22-, or-l7- and --20,y so as to allow the front and intermediate bows, togetherwith their respective links, to clash close to each other and to themain-supporting bow -l-, the relative positions of these parts whenpartially clashed being shown by dotted lines in F ig..1. y

The compensating devices or rocking members 7, as shown more clearly inFig. 2, are pivoted at 23- to opposite sides of the main-supportingbow-l, or rather to the couplings -ll-, a short dis- Leesgoiir tancebelow the pivots -2land are provided with pendent arms -245-playingbetween yadjustable stops 25p and -26- for limiting the vforwardand rearward movement of the upper yends thereof and links #5- and -6-connected thereto.

The links -5- and -6- are preferably straight bars of fiat steel orother suitable material and are connected and adjusted to the bowsections -1S- and -13-, respectively, so that when the top is extendedfor use, the pivot -lTwis slightly above a direct line between thepivots -20- and w21# so as to hold the abutting faces of the toggleoints against each other, or rather to hold the toggle joint againstvertical vibration, and if for any reason, as for example through wear,there should be any tendency of the toggle joints to'break downwardly,the adjusting screws or limiting stops -25- may be tightened against theextension #-94%- of the rock arm -17- to take up the lost motion, themajor portion of each rock arm being covered or protected by a v`cap*"-2T, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3.

The fabric top -B- is usually drawn tightly over the bow sections -10-and fastened to the rear end of the main body under suiiicient tensionto normally hold the front end of the top or front bow section -10- somethree or four inches above the points of attachment to the wind-'shieldframe -C- so that in order to make the connection between the front endof the top and wind-shield, it is necessary to draw such front enddownwardly until engaged with the fastening means, thus increasing thetension of the fabric top, and at the same time drawing forwardly anddownwardly from the pivot -20- and link -5 to establish a more positivelock of the toggle joint by reason of the upward and rearward pull ofthe link -5- along a line below the axis of such joint. Y

While the toggle joint is passing through a direct line between thepivots -20- and 2las for example in locking and breaking the joint,there -is a tendency to buckle the link -5-, but this is prevented bythe slight movement of the rocking member -7- which may then rock awayfrom the stop -25- toward the stop -26-- This movement, however, is onlyslight under any conditions, but aids materially in the easy folding andunfolding of the bows, and at the same time provides means for assuringa positive lock at the toggle joint -17 when the top is extended foruse.

The arched sections -10- of the several bows are substantially identicalin construction,-in that each consists of a tubular metal bar -30-having a lengthwise channel w-3l-- in its outer face in wfhich a strip-3Q- of wood is tightly held by compressing the opposite sides of ytlhechannell against the wood, which lat-ter is adaptedk to receive thetacks by which the flaps usually' pro' vided on the inner side of thefabricftop may be easily and quickly secured to the bows, the remainingportions of the metal tubes -30- being hollow to receive tlhe adjacentend;` of the bow sections, as --13#V or l f-f.

In clashing the top from the position shown in Fig: 1 of the'drawings,it is simply necessary to loosen the connection between the front bowandl wind-shield frame -Cf, whereupon the tension of the fabric top +Bwill automatically lift the front end of the bow yout of engagementAwith said frame, whereupon upon either of thesecti'ons -13 or 15J willbreak the toggle joint -17-4- downwardlyV and allow the front portionofthe top to clash by its own weight to or beyond the position shown bydott-ed 'lines atA the frontv of the main-supportingV bow '-8-,

Fig. l. j Y Y When this portion of the top is clashed against the mainsupporting bow, tlhe remaining bows may be clashed downwardly andrearwardly by their own weight.

'Ihe top may also be easily extended or adjusted for use by reversingthese operations.

It will be evident, however, from the foregoing description that themain features of the invention lie in the construction and arrangementof the links -5- and -6- and rocking member -7-, but I do not wish tolimit myself to the use of the rocking member, nor to the specificpoints yof attadhment of the links.

Vhat I claim is:

l. In a folding top for vehicles, the combination of a main bow, arocking member thereon, a front bow composed of front and rear sectionshinged to each other and having its rear section pivoted to the mainbow, an intermediate bow pivoted to the rear section of the front bow,and links pivotally connected at one end to the rocking member andhaving their opposite ends connected, respectively, to the front sectionof the front bow and to the intermediate bow.

2. In a. folding top for vehicles, the combination of a main bow, arocking member thereon, a front bow composed of front and rear sectionshinged to each other and having its rear section pivoted to the mainbow,

an intermediate bow pivoted to the rear section of the front bow, linkspivotally connected at one end to the rocking member and having theiropposite ends connected, respectively, to the front section of the frontbow vand to the intermediate bow, and an adjustable stop for limit-ingthe rocking movement of said member in one direction.

3. In a folding top for vehicles, the combination of a main bow, a frontbow coma :sligiht downward pull posed of front and rear sections hingedto each other, the rear section being pivoted to the main bow, anintermediate bow pivoted to the rear section of `the front bow, alinksupport on the main fbolw, and separate links pivoted atl one end tosaid support and having their opposite ends pix/Totally connected,

respectively, to the front section of the fronty bow and to theintermediate bow at substantially equal distances from the hinged jointof the front bow and the pivot of the intermediate bow.

4t. In a folding top for vehicles, the com bination with main bowsockets, a main bow lia-ving its ends abutting against the ends of thesockets, couplings connecting the adjacent ends of the bow and sockets,a. front .bow having toggle arms pivot-ally connected to the couplings,rocking members pivotall;T mounted on said couplings, an intermediatebow pivoted to the toggle arms of the front bow, links connecting therocking member with the front bow, and additional links conbow pivotedto the toggle arms of the front bolw, links connecting the `rockingmember with the front bow, additionallinks connecting `the rockingmember with the intermediate bow, and adjustable stops on the couplingsfor limiting the movement ofthe rocking members. n

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of October,1916.

ALMON WV. CURTIS. lVitnesses:

H. E. CHASE, ALICE M. CANNON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

